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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · mine · lie · racket · content · deal · dip · bat

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — after costs
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. content — happy
  23. net — for catching
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com